HYDERABAD: Rockefeller Foundation, a US-based body that identifies changemakers, has picked Naandi Foundation, the Hyderabad-based non-profit as one of the top 10 Visionaries in the world for the Food Vision 2050 Prize, announced yesterday in New York. The recognition for the vision fetches Naandi a prize money of USD 200,000.
Rockefeller in their citation says “...in your vision we see a beacon of light we think can illuminate the world. Your Vision inspired. If implemented, it can transform. It feels lofty yet feasible - audacious yet vital. It can reveal a path forward to a nourishing, resilient, sustainable and equitable food system for 2050, if not well before. We think the global community can be activated to learn from and take ideas from your vision”.
The Rockefeller Foundation award recognised the application of the Arakunomics model in the regions of Araku, Wardha and New Delhi, leading to the Food Vision 2050 that follows an “ABCDEFGH” framework centring on: Agriculture, Biology, Compost, Decentralised decision-making, Entrepreneurs, Families, Global Markets, and ‘Headstands’, or turning current approaches on their head.
Naandi competed with over 1,300 entries in a two-level contest that was spread over almost a year. Rockefeller Foundation will be releasing immediately USD 150,000 and the balance USD 50,000 after a three-month accelerator programme that is intended to help Naandi realise its vision.
Naandi’s vision titled “Arakunomics” was based on work with tribal farmers in Araku for nearly 20 years. Arakunomics is a new integrated economic model that ensures profits for farmers, quality for consumers through Regenerative Agriculture (PQR). The economic model is a tribute to the tribal farmers of Araku region for the world class coffee produced and launched in Paris in 2017, as well as for the high carbon landscape transformation they did in over 955 villages there by planting 25 million trees.
The success of Arakunomics in Araku region led to Naandi replicating the model to support the livelihoods of farming communities in the villages of Wardha – infamous for agrarian distress as well as later in New Delhi, as part of an Urban Farms Co programme. Naandi hopes to expand its “food-print” by creating thousands of farm livelihoods by transforming their agriculture over 1 million acres.
What’s the big idea
Arakunomics, based on work with tribal farmers in Araku for 20 years, is a new economic model that ensures profits for farmers, quality for consumers through Regenerative Agriculture (PQR)